Earthbound
by teeceecee
Summary: He was distant, as far as the stars were from the earth, like a spectator in heaven...untouchable, like a million floating universes, spinning rigidly in his own axis. It was an accident, a wayward Flume that opened up to this far distant universe - spell bounding, strange...different. And that was when he caught sight of her.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Hi! This idea just came to me one day while I was reading and I thought, hey, this sounds like a really interesting concept to eke out :) Hope you guys enjoy this. Warning! This is unbeta-ed so I'm sorry if there's any typos or misused grammar here. Feedback is always appreciated!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own either Jack Frost or Rapunzel. They both belong to Disney and Dreamworks respectively. If I did owe them though, I'd totally make them canon - just saying.**

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_A Guardians' duty is to the Flumes, to his kin and to the life beyond, extending under his care...relying on his compassion, steady on his own core understanding._

_-A Time Guardian's age old adage_

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He was distant, as far as the stars were from the earth, like a spectator in heaven, watching down benevolently from his high seat among the constellations. He was untouchable, like a million floating universes, spinning rigidly in his own axis. He was also cold, abandoned to his own devices for the past hundred thousands of years, left to walk in his own path, away from any being in the whole entire universe – not just one universe but millions of them.

He had seen it all, had seen millions of wars raged on in different planets, in different continents whose name most of us can't even pronounce, let alone comprehend. He floats like a ghostly figure, invisible but all watching, enraptured by the inhabitant's capacity to love, to live and to fight. He had seen millions of planets explode from its own internal pressure, watched as every being took its last breath but he would never intercede, never lift a finger to help for he was damned to watch, to do nothing but watch as millions died all around him.

Then he would open a time Flume and replay the entire scene again, observing things that he had missed. He would watch as parents and offspring's ran, their hands – projectiles, claws, whatever they had to hold – clasp between them like an unbreakable chain of bonding. He had never felt that before, no one had ever held his hand.

He would then watch as their home planet collapsed upon itself, tearing parent from child, a heart from its home away, into the endless void that was destruction.

He would simply move on, find another planet to observe and if he was curious enough with that planet, he would open a second Flume, simply to see what time held in store for this floating plethora of rock, gas and liquid pressure. It was mostly, if not always, destruction.

He faintly remembered his name, remembered who he was before some mysterious being placed him in the centre of the Universe, with a key to travel between dimensions and time pockets. They were enshrouded in shadow; they took him up from death's doorstep and gave him a name. He couldn't remember what his name was but it was a name.

Despite being cold, distant and calculating, he yearned - yearned for someone to talk to, yearned for someone to elevate his loneliness even if they just caught his eye. He yearned for someone to tell him that he wasn't invisible, that he wasn't just a fractured fixture in this existence that he was worthy of being seen. That he was worthy of being loved.

That was when he caught sight of her.

It was an accident, a wayward Flume that opened up to this far distant universe. Upon stepping out of the time pocket, he had known that something was different in this system. That something completely foreign was lingering in this universe, something he had never seen from his visit to other systems.

He followed the trail, letting his instinct lead him. The voice in his head that sounded so much like him but not at all like him whispered to open another Flume, this time over a planet called…Earth?

He scratched his head but followed the voice's instruction and came upon the most beautiful sight he had ever seen. It was a world full of color, full of traditions, cultures that he had never thought he could comprehend.

All of it was amazing, sensorial, beyond his imagination.

He looked down at the inhabitants, ignoring their suffering and focusing on their relationships with one another. He saw strange flesh toned creatures with five projectile digits for hands, walking with various people whom they shared a bond with.

He could see parents with their children, partners bonded for life, some of them barely bonded, and some standing on the threshold of being bonded. He could see companions, walking by with gale laughter trailing, expressions of care and love so blatantly written on their faces he wondered if any of these strange beings have ever died for love. Died because of love.

Love…that was the foreign feeling he had felt when he first stepped into Earth's Flume.

It was all disconcerting and vaguely overwhelming.

Among all the planets he had seen, this one was the most personal, the most interactive one he had ever came upon. It seemed as if the inhabitants themselves relied on this strange power…this strange feeling call love.

He spent the next few weeks here on this wonderful, alien planet, watching their inhabitants interacting among each other, feeling their emotions hit his heart with a gleeful vibe. He stared wistfully at them, knowing he was on the cusp of obsession, of feeling this wonderful emotion he previously hadn't known.

This love.

He had to force himself to look away after the third week, preparing to open a Flume when he heard it. From his perch on a balcony he could hear that someone was crying.

After being showed this amazing emotional revelation of a planet so wrapped around its inhabitants that one race couldn't survive without the other, he found it slightly fearful that someone would be sad, _could_ be sad.

He drifted from his position and towards an open window. There was a young woman in there, her hands clutched around a faded photograph. It was a picture of her and another young man, both of their arms wrapped around each other.

"Why did you have to go," she sniffed softly, as if testing the words before she could admit it was real. "Why did you have to go and leave me here, Eugene?"

Her hands traced the man's face, carefully, her finger lightly touching his brilliant smile.

"I told you not to drive too fast but you would never listen."

He was struck by her soft words, of the raw pain in the back of her voice that he couldn't help it. He placed the tips of fingers against her temple, barely a brush and edged her memories from her mind.

He saw flashing lights, a loud piercing sound that induced fear in the very fibers of his heart and a dead body. The dead body had a face resembling the man in the photograph.

He pulled away, gasping for air and for the first time, really took in this woman.

She was slim, her age a diminutive against his, a fraction so small she could have barely seen a smidgen of what he had seen. Her large, bright green eyes were filled with…tears – wasn't what that strange emotional fluid was called? – And more of them traced a faint track down her cheeks. Her hair was the unusual but almost common gold that most women from the west and north of this planet had but there was something about it that glimmered in the faint light of the dingy apartment.

Her threadbare sweater hung against her thin frame and she wore nothing but shorts underneath it. He felt his face heating up but he wasn't sure why. This was the first time he had ever reacted this way when faced with Earth's inhabitants. That thought was scary and left him breathless.

For one, out worldly moment, the woman recoiled from his touch…as if she had felt him. Her eyes scanned the area in front of her, the place where he was crouched, with fearful trepidation. He wanted to call out to her, to ask if she could see him but hesitated.

He quickly opened another Flume before he could do something foolish, something that one of the inhabitants of this young planet would probably do. He forced his heart to let go of its strange attachment to this planet and faced the bleak darkness of another endless void that lead to nowhere in this forsaken space.

He tried to put the image of her tears out of his head and for a moment he was successful, having thought he left behind the imprint of that planet and its people.

He never expected to get the image of those bright green eyes stuck in his mind for the next uncountable period of time.


	2. Chapter 2

**Well, it wasn't what I expected but thanks to those who supported this story :) Let's exceed this author's expectation and continue _reviewing! :_D**

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_**My mind is running empty, In the search for someone else, Who doesn't look right through me...**_

_**-Astronaut; Simple Plan**_

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He missed Earth that much was obvious. He missed its sight and sounds, the different variety of people living there and most of all he missed her. Well, not exactly that woman but he missed the opportunity he had to finally call out to a being, to confirm whether his whole existence solely relied on him to be invisible or if he could be felt, could be seen, could be heard.

The lost opportunity ached in the depths of his chest, torturing him with reminders of what could have been.

Vaguely, he wondered if the rest of the Flume Guardians, his far distant brethren, had ever felt this strange attachment to a single planet.

He knew the answer even before he had asked it. The rest of them would probably say that he was young, inexperienced, still holding onto the ties of his past life.

But that was the thing; he couldn't remember his past life, exactly.

Another image flashed in his mind, of the same woman again, this time, the picture was accompanied with a smile as he pictured how she would look like happy. He shook his head; this madness was getting out of hand.

And yet…

The desire – the urge to feel what those special humans felt was so strong in him he felt like he would cry if he did not, at least, experience what they experienced once.

In fact, the urge was so strong that he opened the nearest Earth Flume, travelling back to the one place where he couldn't help being.

It was a different era than the one he had previously been in. It was an era of developing machinery for Earth, where the economy turned the tide towards metal work and auto development. But the location where the Flume leads him was quaint, framed with greenery and opened up to a sprawling wide field with children playing upon its grassy surface.

This place was obviously untouched by the rapid civilization for he could make out sheep in the nearby field and stables nearby, adjoining to rickety wooden houses. The children of this time were dressed simply in peasant smocks, worn breeches and stained tunics.

A group of them ran past him, oblivious to him standing right there, playing a game he remembered seeing in another distant planet. They were chasing after each other, laughing and giggling, the younger ones occasionally emitting high shrieks when they were caught. Amongst them was an anomaly, a teenage boy, on the cusp of adulthood, chasing after his younger sibling while all around him, children younger than he was called out for him, asking him to play with them before he had to take care of the sheep.

The young man grinned and beckoned them to a nearby tree where he nimbly climbed the tree, hanging from its branches like a bat in a cave. The time Guardian was amused. It wasn't every day that he saw a young man willingly playing with his younger sister's friends when he had grown up work to do.

He continued staring, watching mesmerized as the Sheppard boy made them all laugh with his wayward antics, and for a brief moment he laughed too, caught up with the tricksters mischievous gaze. The time Guardian smiled, he knew he had found the right face to morph into.

He placed his cool hands on his face, willing his features to morph and transform into the young man's. He felt the contours of his cheek softened and knew that his silver white hair was being transitioned into the Sheppard boy's brown locks and his eyes burn, changing color from an Arctic blue to a warm brown.

Satisfied with his transformation, he opened another Flume, this one back to the present Earth and stepped through, leaving behind the merry laughter of the children.

He was back in the same city, with the same apartment in the background. His heart expanded, making him grin widely with elation. He had finally done it.

He was finally human.

His feet touched down on the pavement as he morphed his clothes into the recurring trend of simple jeans and t-shirt that he noticed most males on this planet, especially this country, seemed to prefer. Now, he needed a new name and was on the verge from recalling his old one when someone yelled, "Hey, Jack! We've got a problem with the delivery system…"

He turned and noticed a group of men, standing by a garishly yellow… he paused, unsure what that strange vehicle was. He knew that cars and bikes were common here on this planet, having gotten the information when he had lingered here for three weeks – a second, actually, compared to his unlimited space of time. He frowned but decided to take up that name, thinking it easy to remember and pronounce.

He took a tentative step, unsure how to move the way these people did but surprisingly, it was simple. He just had to resist the urge to turn his centre of gravity off and float, putting one foot in front of the other. He breathed a sigh of relief; so far things were going well.

The Flume Guardian – Jack – walked past a tinted window, stopping to glance at his reflection. The one thing that surprised him was how strikingly…normal he looked. Like an average human male, walking to college or maybe even work. He marveled at his reflection until a blond girl on the street looked up and caught his eye.

Jack's heart skipped, thinking it was her, but no, this girl was barely a woman and she was slighter than her. The girl's gaze slid from his to the front and with a jolt, he realized that she couldn't see him.

He ducked his head down and continued walking, unsure where he was going just that he was here for the time being. He tentatively placed his hands in his pockets – something he'd seen most guys do – and trudged down the bustling sidewalk, frowning.

He walked up to a short man holding a camera and tapped his shoulder. The man turned around with an expectant smile which turned into a confused gaze. His eyes roamed over Jack, not seeing and he shrugged, turning back to his camera.

In all his excitement, Jack had forgotten to think this possibility through.

That he was still invisible

Well, at least the first step of his crazy plan was executed.

The second seemed to him much harder – try to make that green eyed, fair head woman notice him.


	3. Chapter 3

**Big thanks to _ImagineDragonz7_ and _Ethir_ for your lovely reviews :') I just wanted to say even if I don't get the support that I envisioned, doesn't mean I still won't write for you guys :D Be warned, this chapter with induce feels...at least it did for me. Review, if you would! **

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_**Circling like a satellite, Sign post in the sky, look at me...**_

_**-Your Neighborhood Spaceman; Peeping Tom**_

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Jack was surprised to find that his ability to fly was still present as he hovered to her apartment, peering in to see if she was home. The lights were turned off, leaving the room in a growing darkness as he perched over the railing and waited.

He let his mind drift, thinking and musing, lost in the depths of his own thoughts. The sound of the lock turning came a second too late and her scream came earlier than he expected.

She was staring at him, slack jawed and wide eyed, all the color leaching from her face, turning her as white as bone. She stumbled back, clutching her bag to her chest like a shield, her face twisted in horror.

His eyes widened, breaths leaving in small puffs of agonizing anxiety. She could see him? She could _really _see him?

Jack got up from his perch on the railing and she shrieked again, advancing closer to him, her hand outstretched as if to catch him. He landed lightly on the floor of her balcony and twisted his lips into what he hoped was a smile.

She choked on half formed words, her hands shaking as she unlatched the glass doors.

"Wh-Who are you and h-h-how did you get up here?"

He raised his hands up in a placating gesture, begging her with his eyes not to run away. She stood rooted at the spot, her shock not quite ebbing off.

"My name's Jack," he said, his confidence trailing away once he found that he didn't know what else to say.

"Uh…hello, Jack," she replied, her jaw twitching.

"Again, I'll ask you, who are you and what do you w-want from me?" her voice was stronger now, her green eyes glowing dangerously.

"Um…I don't exactly know," Jack said hesitantly. "But I'm here."

She shook her head as if it made perfect sense and backed into the house. "I'm going to call the police now," she said, turning back and literally sprinting into a run.

"No!" Jack cried as he used the momentum of his flight to propel him across the room, catching her before she could lift up the receiver.

She screamed – a cry of absolute terror – and tried to push him off her.

"Please, don't hurt me, if you want my money I'll-"

"I'm not going to hurt you," Jack said, cocking his head to the side as if considering how crazy that idea was. "In fact, I never meant to hurt you."

Her eyes travelled from him to the balcony, calculating the distance. They widened, awe and trepidation lighting her gaze.

"Ho-How did you…"

"Fly?" Jack supplied for her. "Easy, I've been doing it ever since I was reborn."

Her lips shape around the word, mouthing it with fear and confusion. "Reborn? What the-"

"It's a long story," Jack said, his gaze roaming her apartment. He caught sight of the picture that had caused all this curiosity and walked to it. "Who's this?"

Her jaw quivered as she stood up gingerly, touching her scraped elbow. "That's m-my boyfriend," she stuttered.

"He was the one who passed away, didn't he?" he said, walking over to the framed photograph.

"H-How did y-you know –"

"I saw it, the other day when I came here," Jack replied mildly.

She stopped cold, her feet frozen to the carpeted floor. "So that was you?"

He turned back, shocked. "You could see me?"

She frowned, edging towards the kitchen slowly. The room adjoined with the living space together with a dining hall and small kitchenette.

"Yeah – well, not exactly, I felt y-you," she said, wondering what the hell had been put in her morning coffee to induce this madness.

Jack turned to hide his grin. So she had felt him, it wasn't just the trick of his imagination; she had really, truly felt his presence.

"I honestly thought you wouldn't see me and-"

He didn't get to finish his sentence. A sharp, cracking pain resonated across his scalp, making his ears ring hollowly, like a chiming bell. He slid to his knees, clutching his aching head. Jack looked up through watery eyes to find her standing over him with a pan in her hand, looking horror stricken. He reached out a hand towards her and she seemed to snap, bringing the pan down again.

The darkness swarmed his vision even before he fell to the ground.

~~O~~O~~

Rapunzel breathed heavily, clutching the frying pan to her chest as if it depended on her life.

She had just hit somebody; she had just attacked and knocked a person out cold.

_This isn't happening,_ she tried to reason to herself. _When the coffee wears off, you'll wake up back in work, thinking that this is just a dream._

But it wasn't. This felt too real.

She glanced down at the unconscious man sprawled across the carpet, a throbbing swell starting to appear by his temple where she struck him. He was fairly young, about her age, with chocolate brown hair and a charming if not slightly handsome boyish face. She shook the strange thoughts out of her head, staggering over to him and took his hand in hers, searching for a pulse.

His heartbeat was weakened but at least it was there. She exhaled in relief and staggered to the floor, her knees giving out on her.

_Think, think,_ her mind urged as she looked around her room. An idea then struck her as she tried to lift his body from the floor. He was heavy but not as heavy as she had imagined. His form was slim and lithe, making his form manageable to carry and set down on the upholstered armchair.

She ran to the kitchen, searching for something that could be mobilize him there. Rapunzel pulled up a roll of duct tape, hidden behind a fruit bowl and grimaced. This would hurt him but at least it would keep him there, keep him strapped down until she decided what to do next.

Wrapping the tape around his wrists to the arms of the chair she sat vigilant on the opposite couch, waiting for him to awake. He groaned a moment later, neck lolling as he struggled to shake off the haze. His brown eyes blinked to consciousness, growing alarmed when he realized that his limbs were immobile.

"Why did you do that for?" he demanded, wincing when he moved his head.

Despite the situation, she felt immensely guilty for hurting him like this and gave him an apologetic stare. "Sorry, but it had to be done."

"I told you I wouldn't hurt you," he replied, defensive.

"Um, uh- I need answers, starting off with just who the hell you are," Rapunzel said, willing her voice to stop shaking.

He wrung his hands, eyes darting this way and that, looking for a way out. Finding none, he sighed, giving her a hard stare.

"My real name's not Jack, actually I have no idea what it is," he started, watching her expression carefully for any emotion. "I'm a Flume Guardian, at least, that's what we're call in your tongue."

"A Flume…_what?_"

"Guardian," he replied. "A key between every dimension."

"Wait, so what you're saying is that…you can time travel?" Rapunzel could hear how ridiculous she sounded.

"Not only that, we can open specific time pockets and look at a planets past or future."

She slumped against the couch, trying to wrap her head around all this.

"P-Planets? You mean in-"

"-different universes, yes," Jack finished for her, his brown eyes solemn.

"I thought that only happened in movies."

He looked confused. "What're movies?"

"Oh God," she groaned, covering her face with her palms.

Jack gave looked at her carefully, like how one would look at an conerred animal.

"Alright," Rapunzel replied, frowning. "Say I believe you, what would you be doing here when you could be…travelling between air pockets and stuff?"

He hesitated at this question. "Let's just say…I fell in love with this planet."

She was taken aback. In her over imaginative mind, she had imagined him trying to take over the world or more nobly, trying to save the world from an unavoidable destruction. This answer stumped her.

"You fell in love with _Earth?_" she asked dubiously.

"Yes."

She couldn't stop the next question from bursting forth from her lips. "Why?"

"Because…it's because I've never seen a species that relies on love, something that I have only heard of but never truly felt or seen in such a large capacity," he admitted. "Then I saw you in your apartment the other day, crying over that picture and I was…stunned. I was surprised that in a planet full of this emotion, someone could cry because of it."

He shrugged, the action causing his wrists to strain against his bonds. "I wanted to find out more so I came here, that's the story."

Rapunzel straightened in her seat, her thoughts going to Eugene. Her mind reeled her in before her heart could remember and she struggled to gain a hold on her scattering emotions.

"You've never…You have never, ever felt love?"

He shook his head, looking mildly curious. "No, not ever, and I wanted to see if I could - if you would help me."

"I still don't get why me," she mumbled.

Jack frowned, his expression puzzled. He muttered a, "Me too," quietly under his breath.

They stared at each other; lapsing into a silence so thick she could feel it suffocating her.

"Did you get all your answers yet?"

"Just one more," she replied, taking a steadying breath.

"Jack, how old are you, exactly?"

"About three hundred give or take," he replied, shrugging casually.

She exhaled, the breath shuddering through her chest and stared him in the eye.

"That's what I thought."

"You're pretty observant for a human being," he replied, a hint of haughtiness in his tone, eyes twinkling bright. "And you rather surprise me…Rapunzel Isabelle Corona."


	4. Chapter 4

**Taking a break from writing Till Spring Arrives for this. Hope you guys can forgive my lateness on this. Thank you to those who reviewed and please enjoy this chapter. Leave a review, if you would!**

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**_Fragile_**

**_-God Is An Astronaut_**

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Rapunzel jerked back as if she had been electrocuted. "How do you know my name?"

Jack smiled. "I looked through your past," he replied simply.

She felt suddenly violated, her past exposed to this strange…creature, who merely opened it up like a refrigerator door, casually peeking in to search its contents without her permission. A burst of anger and indignation flared in her chest.

"You can't just go poking your head through people's lives," she said, crossing her arms over her chest so that she didn't feel so expose in front of him. He smirked, seeming to mock her.

"Oh, but I can, and I did," Jack said in an annoying sing song voice.

Rapunzel glared but decided to let it slide. She had more pressing issues to handle.

"If I let you go, will you promise never to come back and disturb me ever again?"

His smirk disappeared, replaced by a panic look in his eyes. "I…I can't keep that promise."

She bit her lip, staring at the floor. She also hadn't expected to elicit that respond from him. This frustrated Rapunzel to an extent where she felt like smacking her fist into the couch. She had always been good at reading people but with this…guy…she kept up drawing a blank.

She didn't even know if he was even all that right in his head.

The blonde got up, her long ponytail thumping against her back and strode to the kitchen to retrieve a pair of scissors. She walked up to him, sharp edges poised by his wrists, cutting the tape away in one swift, deft motion.

He rubbed his wrists, touching a free hand to his still swollen temple. Jack gave her an impish grin. "That's quite a hit you got there."

She grimaced. "Sorry."

He shook his head, giving her a benevolent smile as he eyed the place with quiet wonder.

"I was thinking…when you stopped me from calling the police did you really…d-did you really fly?" she asked, tripping over her words in hesitation.

She watched as Jack's feet lifted from the ground, seemingly suspended by invisible puppet strings. She gaped and he smirked again, touching back down the ground lightly.

"I think it's pretty obvious."

Her knees were knocking against each other and without warning; she pitched forward, causing Jack to catch her before she hit the ground.

"I don't think I was supposed to see that," she said weakly. Jack noted that she looked a little green around the edges.

"Are you alright?" he asked cautiously, laying her back down onto the sofa. "I mean, you were the one that asked."

For the first time since they met, Rapunzel smiled, albeit hesitantly. "My bad, then," she said with a chuckle. Jack found her laugh to be strangely fascinating, despite how weak it sounded.

"Could you – could you just help me to my room?" she asked, lifting a hand up. He took it gingerly, afraid how she might react to his touch. If she felt something off about his unnaturally cool temperature she didn't remark on it, leaning heavily against him.

She steered him toward a simple, single bed room and told him to leave her here, to meet her in the morning if this was not some crazy, sleep deprived dream her tired mind was concocting.

Jack agreed, watching as she closed the door, not quite looking him in the eye. He turned back to the living room, striding to the couch and sitting on its plush cushion.

He didn't know his sudden transition to human state included the need to sleep but he closed his eyes anyway, if not only to feel the darkness surrounding him like a blanket of calm.

Too soon, dim light flooded his eyelids and Jack opened his eyes to the most beautiful sight he had ever seen. Rapunzel's apartment had an amazing view of a sunrise, the rays coloring the sky rose gold, lilac and a light pink, peeking out from behind the skyline like a spotlight out of a jagged row of teeth.

The sight took his breath away.

That was how Rapunzel found him hours later, his eyes glued to the city beyond, wide with an innocence she never expected to see in a man his age. She studied him carefully, twisting a lock of hair between her fingers as she contemplated.

Should she really trust him? Should she even consider trusting him?

Rapunzel cleared her throat and she watched as Jack came back to his senses, the wondrous light in his eyes dimming. He smiled and gestured outside.

"I've never seen the sunrise here, on other planets it's really different."

Her throat tightened at that thought. "How so different?" she managed to choke out.

"Well, for starters there's this one planet in this Universe that had three sunrises throughout the day and another planet I've been to had five-"

"You know what, forget I asked," she mumbled.

A crease appeared between Jack's brows as glanced at her. "Did I say something wrong?"

For a moment, she really did feel guilty for what she said. He was just amazed and didn't mean to frighten her with all the outer space-not-alone-in-this-universe talk.

"I'm sorry, it's just that…I forget sometimes that we're not the only ones in this universe," she admitted, walking up to him and staring out to the lightening sky. Tentatively, she put a hand on his shoulder and pointed to a skyscraper.

"You know that place?" He shook his head.

"Am I supposed to?"

Rapunzel smiled. "That's the tallest skyscraper in this city and there's where the main government office is located."

Jack squinted, trying to make out the details through the bright light. "It's awfully tall, I'll give it that."

They lapsed into a peaceful quiet but it wasn't a deafening silence, she found that it was strangely comfortable, the way how they didn't need to say anything and it wasn't…bad. It wasn't bad at all.

"It's strange, how I lingered here for three weeks and have not once seen a sunrise," Jack mused. "Or maybe I just didn't notice it, with being distracted and everything."

"I used to love sunrises," Rapunzel admitted. "It was something I observed whenever I felt the urge to paint."

"You paint?" Jack's expression conveyed genuine interest, a small smile tugging at the corners of his lips that Rapunzel gave in and tugged him to her painting room.

"Yeah – c'mon, I'll show you." She led him to one of the apartment's spare rooms and he immediately knew that this room was the one which she spent the most time in. The walls were painted a light, powder pink, covered in abstract figures, natural scenery and flower motives.

Jack took it all in, impressed.

He watched as Rapunzel riffled through the pages of one of her thousands of scrapbooks with a look of concentration. The book looked well loved, judging from the various water stains on its cover and the dented imprints on the page.

She turned the book towards him, a sudden shy expression dawning on her features. "I'm not that good with my line art and my smudging is a little bit messy," she knew she was babbling, something she did whenever she was nervous but she couldn't help it. This was the first time someone was ever looking through her art.

"And maybe I might be off kilter about my subject placement-"

"It's perfect," Jack said; gesturing to a charcoal drawing of the sunrise he had just seen, only better, if that was possible.

She blushed and stared down at her toes, unable to form a coherent response without breaking into a fit of grateful giggles. Instead she grinned and rested one hip by her art table, watching as he flipped through the pages, the same look he had on while seeing the sunrise etched on his face.

It was a look of pure, undulated wonder.

"Your art is amazing," he breathed, glancing up at her in awe. A rush of pride filled her then, warming her up from the tips of her toes to her scalp.

He closed the book and then wandered to a painting hanging on the right wall, depicting the swirling colors of a galaxy. Jack gazed at the image, feeling a sense of nostalgia blooming in his heart. The last time he had seen a galaxy in motion was a thousand years ago, when he could still bear their haunting beauty without feeling the pang of loneliness stirring in his heart.

"I bet you see that every day," Rapunzel said softly, coming to stand beside him.

He shrugged. "Not every time."

She looked surprised. "Why? Have a schedule to keep while checking out other planets?" she asked in a teasing tone.

"Maybe," he replied with a chuckle.

He stared at the painting again, feeling that same sense of cold loneliness piercing his soul like an icy shard, making him grimace. The sight was beautiful, but it reminded him too much of the time he spent alone out there, with nothing but his thoughts for company.

"It's just…I've never experienced this with somebody and almost memory I have is tinged with sadness," Jack said, one side of his mouth quirking up. "May seem strange but this sight is not half as beautiful as when you see it with someone."

Rapunzel didn't know what overcame her when she blurted out, "then show me." She covered her mouth, staring at him abashedly, waiting for him to rebuff her but he didn't.

A strange mixture of hesitation and hope lit up his expression. "Really?" he breathed. Her heart clenched when she recalled his words, how he had never felt love before and she finally understood.

He wasn't here because of love.

He was here because he wanted to see if he could be loved.

"Yeah," she replied, grinning. "Let's go to space."

"Let's not, you'll suffocate," Jack admonished, giving the room a scrutinizing gaze. "But I think I'll open up a portal here, if you don't mind off course," he added hastily.

"I wouldn't unless it involves sucking all of my things into space," she replied jokingly.

"No, I'll just place the portal as a view, we don't even have to leave this room," he promised, walking up to one of the painted walls.

Jack placed his palm on the plaster and Rapunzel held in her breath as she watched, enraptured, when an outline of a door started to form. He traced the air around it lightly, as if writing a delicate opening charm. The portal – Flume – if she remembered him saying it correctly, materialized, the sight beyond veiled in shimmering white vapor, forming a wall of protection against the other side.

He motioned for her to sit and she did, bracing herself.

"Are you ready?"

Was she really? Was she really ready to admit to herself that she was starting to embrace this craziness? Was she starting to think that all this was real? That her planet was nothing but a speck of dust in this frighteningly vast existence?

"Yes," she whispered and he smiled, touching the shimmering veil lightly. It twisted and turned, as if made up of tiny writhing snakes and she could see the hazy version of her painting forming around the Flume's images.

Jack sat beside her, his posture tense, face bright with excitement.

"Here we go," he whispered and unconsciously, she grasped his hand beside hers.

Light emanated from the portal, making her cover her eyes, the bright glare leaving shadowy imprints behind her lids. All too soon the light faded, settling into a faint glow and Rapunzel opened her eyes.

She gasped, amazed at what she saw.

"What in the…_world?_"


	5. Chapter 5

**Uh, yeah, I'm really late with an update for this story but hey, here's one now heheh. I hope you guys haven't forgotten about this story (again, my fault, sorry) and yeah, thanks for all your reviews and do leave one telling me what you think about this chapter! Remember, reviews feed the author :P**

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_**By the cracks of the skin I climbed to the top, I climbed the tree to see the world...**_

_**-To Build A Home; The Cinematic Orchestra **_

* * *

"Oh my God," Rapunzel breathed, watching as the colors mingled, swirled so tangibly close to her. "Is this even…"

"Real?" Jack prompted. "About as real as it can get."

She glanced longingly at her easel and back again to the Flume. "Would it be alright if I…" she hesitated.

Jack grinned. "Why not? Go ahead, I'll keep it open for as long as you want."

The look she gave was beyond priceless as she scrambled for her paint pots and brushes, setting up the easel at a space where she could have the whole view of the Universe to herself. In return, Jack contented himself watching her paint; the different expressions of concentration she wore, the sounds that emitted from her mouth when she got the strokes _just_ right.

She was mesmerizing, more so than the Universe itself.

When she was done, Jack was hard pressed to say that the painting didn't resemble the scene before them. She had added her own touches – a different color scheme, differently placed twinkling stars but the effect was still the same. It was beautiful. He told her so and she blushed in pleasure, watching with sad eyes when he finally closed the Flume.

Rapunzel felt as if she had just seen the essence of life itself and it took her a few minutes to get her brain to function normally again.

"Wow, I…that was beautiful and it's…thank you," she blurted out, a grin of happiness spreading on her face. "Thank you so much for that, it was amazing."

Jack tipped his head in a mock bow he had seen most humans do when they received flattery, shooting her a grin. "No problem."

"So, you do that all the time?" she asked excitedly. Her mind was starting to work in overtime in her enthusiasm and the questions all seemed to bubble up from nowhere. "Like is that your usual lunch break do? Watching the galaxy while eating a sandwich – oh gosh! That would be amazing; could you like do that again while I make some sandwiches and…" Rapunzel trailed off when she realized she was babbling and ducked her head in embarrassment.

"Sorry, I haven't even been out of the states before and suddenly the whole Universe was before me," she said and gave a nervous chuckle. "Like…boom, just right there and… sorry, rambling again."

She tucked her hair behind her ear as she shyly peeked up at him through her lashes.

He felt his gaze soften. "It's alright, I understand. I was exactly the same way as you were when I saw the explosion." Jack's expression turned thoughtful. "There's one Flume Guardian who actually saw the birth of the Universe – well, this one – and he recounted it in his handbook that it was the most amazing sight he had ever seen."

Rapunzel's eyes were alight in childish wonder. "Really? Man that must've been wicked cool."

He felt confuse by her use of two contradicting verbs. "Wicked cool? Like being amazing in an evil way?"

She burst out laughing then and he couldn't help but feel confuse. She stopped when she realized that he was serious and immediately looked apologetic.

"Sorry – why am I apologizing a lot today? – But seriously, I forgot that you don't know the modern slang well enough," she said. "'Wicked cool' is just a phrase that means 'amazingly awesome' or something like that," the blonde clarified.

"Oh, well then, I think this planet is wicked cool."

"And your abilities? That's wicked cool too," she replied, grinning.

"Please, you haven't seen the Renaissance Era, now _that_ was wicked cool," Jack said, going along with their banter and mirroring her grin.

"You've actually seen the Renaissance Era?" she asked, eyes growing wide with surprise.

"Yes, a few times," he admitted. "When I was getting to know this planet I thought it would be a good idea to start with its history."

Rapunzel looked wistfully at the empty space of wall, as if she could conjure up her own Flume just by thinking about it. "I've always loved that time period; that's when art was truly appreciated by _everyone,_" she emphasized, her expression rebellious for a few seconds, turning back into one of wishful thinking in the blink of an eye.

"I could take you there," Jack offered.

She started in surprise. "Really?"

"Yeah," he said with a casual shrug. "It'd be no problem."

"Hey Jack?" Rapunzel asked, a tentative smile curving her lips. She noted with mild surprise that this was probably the first time she had ever smiled at him today of her own will.

"Mhm?"

"Would you like to try something wickedly cool we humans call nachos?"

~~O~~O~~

"Are you sure this is edible?" Jack asked, lifting up one cornmeal chip in apprehension. Looking at the unusually bright yellow of the cheese, the almost manufactured perfectness of each nacho, Rapunzel could understand but she just smirked, encouraging him to try one.

Jack hesitantly chewed it and his face changed. He wasn't cautious and tentative anymore with the dish and started wolfing down the nachos, an expression of pure delight on his face. Rapunzel giggled. It was fun to watch him, she admitted. It was like looking at a blind person experiencing sight for the first time - completely engrossing and a little bit touching, if she were being honest.

"This is amazing," Jack said around a mouthful of cheese and chips. "They should seriously open this up in space; I would go there every day!"

"Ha, you better not if you want to live for another few more eons," Rapunzel said, her tone playful. She lifted up a really cheesy, greasy, meat slathered piece of corn chip for emphasis. "Total life shortage if you binge too much on these."

Jack made a face. "Alright, changed my mind."

She laughed then, the sound almost cathartic after months of not smiling, brooding and sadness. How she had missed life's simple pleasures such as these.

"So, tell me more about yourself and-" she paused, scanning the space surreptitiously although there was no one within a listening distance and even if they were, they wouldn't understand. Or so she hoped. "-and your life, you know, _before,_" Rapunzel said the word with an air of secrecy, as if Jack's life were something of myths and legends.

Truth be told, it kind of was.

"What do you want to know?" he asked, his smile polite and patient.

The blonde pursed her lips. "Well, you could start from the beginning, you know, of everything."

A mocking smirk found its way to his lips. "In the beginning, there was darkness, and then God created light..."

"Are you serious?" she asked, disbelieving. "You can seriously quote the bible?"

"Word gets round in the universe pretty quick," Jack said, shrugging. "That man – Jesus – his death was spoken about for days. Caused quite the ruckus because of his claims."

Rapunzel stared at him in blatant shock, her mind not wrapping around the fact there were people outside of this solar system that knew of Jesus _friggin_ Christ. "Days? Was it that bad?"

A sudden thought seized her, persistent. "Did you ever meet God?"

"Not in the physical sense," Jack admitted. "But I do believe in meta-physical manifestations beyond our own control."

"So, you're a believer then?" she asked, dubious.

"If you have seen half of what I have seen, then you too would believe," he replied mildly.

"Okay then," Rapunzel said, amused. "Tell me at least a quarter of what you have seen."

Jack took a sip of his drink – something which he had exclaimed tasted exactly like Ptrex, whatever the heck that was – seemingly deep in thought.

"Mountains composed entirely of gas," he started. "Swirling with colors that even I had no name for, rivers of fire, stars burning – dying – right before my eyes."

"That sounds amazing," Rapunzel said and she meant it. Those were the stuff of surreality, things that only existed in people's wildest imagination.

"But tell me about yourself," Jack said, not so subtly redirecting the conversation back to her. "I'm pretty sure that human lives are much more interesting than what I have to say."

"Well, it isn't exactly a flowing river of fire," Rapunzel said, small smirk on her lips. "But it's what we consider normal, I guess."

Jack leaned forward and she could just see mirth sparkling in his eyes, momentarily making her lose all form of speech. "Then tell me about this."

"You sure?"

He didn't say anymore, instead, fixed with her with a look of expectation.

She sighed. "Okay then. There isn't much about me besides the fact that I work as a painter, perpetually broke, living miles away from my home because of some step-mum issues and..." Rapunzel trailed off, frowning. "That's all, I guess."

"That's it?" Jack asked, doubt in his tone. "That can't be. What about dreams? Passion? What drives you to live?"

A laugh of scorn barked out of her, unstoppable at his childishly naïve words. Dreams? Drive? All of that had dissipated when her step-mother had thrown her sketch books in the flames of their house fireplace. "I don't have any."

"On the contrary, Rapunzel Corona, I think you have plenty of dreams."

"You're sounding a great deal like Oprah right now, you know that?" she said, giving him a scathing look.

He frowned in confusion. "What the heck is an 'Oprah'?"

"Never mind," Rapunzel replied, smiling at his question.

"What's so funny-"

"Nothing, Jack, just drop it." But her smile wouldn't fade, try as she might. If she were to admit to herself, she wanted to answer his previous questions so bad...only if she knew how to.

"Honestly, I would want to answer your questions," she said and Jack perked up. "Well, go on, I haven't got a whole millennium," he replied jokingly.

The blonde hesitated before answering, twisting the straw in her drink, watching as the motion disturb the foam of her iced latte.

"I used to dream that I would spend my whole life painting," she admitted. "Creating things, that's what I always wanted...just not in the way _now._"

"But...something changed, didn't it?" he asked, amused expression deteriorating once he realized the depth of her own self-angst.

Rapunzel glanced at the table. "I rather not talk about it."

Jack visibly deflated in disappointment and an onslaught of guilt hit her like a freight train, sudden and vicious. On impulse, she took his hand in hers, squeezing it gently.

"Hey, this has nothing to do with you, okay?" she said, green eyes wide with sincerity. "It's just me and my piss poor bad luck, that's it."

"Piss poor bad luck?" Jack asked, the side of his mouth twitching up into a half smile.

"Yeah," Rapunzel replied, twisting a strand of flaxen gold locks shyly. "Something that I hate to say, but it's true."

Jack chuckled. "You may think that, Rapunzel, but life doesn't always – what did you youngsters call it? Suck? Yeah, it doesn't always...it'll turn around."

"Forever the optimist aren't you?" she asked rather exasperatedly.

"I'm just a believer," the Time Guardian replied with a wink.

Rapunzel huffed. "You're so annoying sometimes," but her smile lessened the sarcastic blow and he returned the gesture.

"I think so too, Rapunzel Corona."

"Punz," she said softly.

"Pardon?" Jack asked, bewildered.

"Just call me Punz," she said, her smile tentative like the first bloom in spring. "'Rapunzel' makes me sound so old."

The brunette grin. "Punz it is."

They shared a moment of new found companionship in silence, each lost in their own thoughts. Admittedly, Rapunzel wondered who exactly was this man before her and what was his past? How did he came to be? Was he originally from Earth or...?

Somehow, she knew that if even one question of this was answered, it would take all the understanding in the world and a billion times of brain cells to wrap her mind around it. Somehow, she found that she was comfortable not knowing. And oblivion may be the right thing to turn to.

"Have you always been able to – you know – fly?" she asked, out of the blue, startling him and herself.

"I think so," he said and then shrugged. "I'm not so sure, I wouldn't do what you call flying when I'm out there although I do think it's an integrated natural instinct."

"That's amazing," she said with a touch of wistfulness.

How she wished she could fly, if only to ease her mind and leave her troubles on the ground for a few minutes. To leave the thought of paying rent, repaying debts to paint collectors and getting enough to push her by. She sighed. Oh how lovely that idea would be.

Jack seemed to read the expression on her face for he asked her tentatively. "Do you want to try?"

"What?" she asked, surprised.

"Do you – I don't know – do you want to try flying?"

Rapunzel snorted delicately. "I'm pretty sure my biological composition doesn't allow me to defy gravity."

He smiled at her, an amused almost curious smile. "No, silly. I meant with me."

The silence stretched for a few moments as she thought of what to say. Flying sounded scary. Flying with him sounded _perfectly_ terrifying.

"Sure, why not?"


	6. Chapter 6

For those who asked for an update, here you go :) Hope you guys enjoy this and please, do leave a review!

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_**I pirouette in the dark, I see the stars through me...**_

_**-Shatter Me; Lindsey Sterling feat Lzzy Hale**_

* * *

Jack had left her alone with her thoughts on a hot summer afternoon, leaving her with nothing but the hum of the heat and her constant musings to keep her occupied. He had told her that he needed to scout the area – much to her amusement at the use of his strange jargon – for places that were safe before he took her flying.

She agreed, having a deep desire to keep her limbs intact and her neighbors from catching her in midair. To keep her thoughts from straying, she cleaned the house, cooked some lasagna for tonight's dinner, aired out her cabinets and folded the clothes. But nothing could keep her mind from leaving this apartment and floating back to the restaurant where he had shed more light on his past – on his mysterious species.

She didn't think he was anything but human. After all, he did look like one, talked like one and acted like one – albeit with a much more hesitant gait, as if he didn't remember _how_ to be one.

Rapunzel was glad that at least he was truthful about the time flume and that he didn't travel through a blue telephone box, have eleven – or was that twelve? – versions of himself. And she was particularly glad that there weren't any creepy mannequins coming to life and attacking her right now. _No, stop, he is definitely not a Doctor, _she chastised.

But at least that would give her an insight to who he really was, instead of leaving her grasping for some straws like some delusional, maniacal woman.

She sighed, what in the world did she get herself into?

A knock sounded and she walked to the door, opening to reveal a grinning Jack. She smiled at him back, partly from the joy of seeing him and partly from the fact that he had learned to knock instead of just floating through her window and giving her a scare.

"All clear?"

"Most definitely."

He sniffed the air appreciatively. "What is that wonderful smell?"

"Lasagna," she replied, setting her mitts on the table.

"What's a lasagna?"

"You'll see," she said in a sing-song voice, removing the dish from the hot oven.

They sat for dinner, Rapunzel doing most of the talking as she wanted to know what he saw when he was airborne.

"Just you wait, it's pretty," he replied, smirking.

She polished the last bite of her food, setting the fork down. "Now, that's just a tad cruel, don't you think?"

"Patience," Jack reminded her, sipping from his beer. He made a face, gesturing to the drink. "Why's it so bitter?"

"It's beer, of course it should be bitter."

"Well, excuse me if I don't know but what is it?"

She laughed at his scrunched up face, finding it adorable. "If my brewery knowledge is right, beer is just basically fermented bread in a drink...but I could be wrong."

Jack shuddered. "Who would want to drink anything fermented?"

"Lots of people do, actually."

"But I'm not 'lots of people'."

"Hmm...I could get you some grape juice if you want."

"Does it taste like beer?" he asked, expression apprehensive.

"Nope, just plain good fruit."

"Why're you laughing?"

She tried to smother her giggles with the palm of her hand but to no avail. Jack's confused expression wasn't exactly helping either.

"It's just...sorry if I sound mean but the last time I drank grape juice, I was five."

"And is that something bad?" he asked, obviously confused.

"N-No, gosh, sorry, it's just...never mind."

"No, tell me,"Jack said, taking her hands in his. She felt a little jolt creep up her skin from the contact but managed to school her face before he could detect her reaction.

"Um...it's because people of our age – well, my age cause you're like, _arcane_ – tend to drink beer and alcoholic-y stuff because we like it whereas grape juice is for those younger than six."

He quirked a smile at her response. "So, me drinking grape juice would be considered too immature."

"Yeah but it's okay, it's understandable."

Jack shrugged, lifting up the bottle and chugging it down, ignoring her bulging eyes. He finished the drink and set the bottle on the table, looking satisfied.

"Er, you might start to feel a little-"

He burped, eyes widening at the action. Without warning, Jack burst out laughing, smacking his head with his palm.

Rapunzel couldn't help the chuckles that escaped her lips at his response, letting the laughter take over her.

"Gosh," he said, wheezing slightly. The Time Guardian wiped his eyes, shaking his head. "That was something."

"That's alcohol," she chirped, grinning at him.

The glow of sunset illuminated the room in burning shades of orange and red. Rapunzel glanced wistfully to the outside world, watching as the colors coalesced to form the prettiest sight she had ever seen.

Her mind went back to her sketchbook, her paint and she itched for a brush or even a pencil right now. Curiously, she wondered if a new drawing of a sunset would match the one in her sketchbook when she remembered the fate of her beloved book.

Fire glowed behind her eyes, the warmth penetrating her skin as Rapunzel remembered the grim look on Gothel's face when her step-mother fed the flame with her sketchbooks.

The blonde shuddered, grimacing.

"Are you alright?"

She looked up, finding eyes filled with worry. The blue reminded her of an overcast sky right before it would rain, melancholic as it was beautiful.

Rapunzel snapped out of it, frowning. It seemed as if she was slowly turning into Edgar Allen Poe except less terrifying and more depressing.

"I'm fine," she said, nonchalantly sipping her drink. "Just remembering something, that's it."

"Didn't look like nothing," Jack said, standing up and placing his dish in the sink. They did the dishes, reveling in the simplicity of mundane jobs. He placed the dishes on a rack, exactly the way she liked it and for that, Rapunzel couldn't help but smile.

She adored finding out new things about her unexpected friend, like how he tugged on his brown locks when he was clueless about something; the way how he tended to drift and dream when he thought she wasn't looking, the way how he seemed to read and adapt to people adroitly.

The blonde found his tiny quirks amusing as it was fascinating, thinking how it gave him a new facet.

"Night's almost here," he said, giving her a sideways glance. "I wonder how you do it."

"Do what?" she said, watching the darkening sky with a serenity only bestowed to those who had the privilege to watch night roam the skies, snuffing out the light.

"Get into your head...sometimes I envy that about you."

Amusement found its way into her heart. "Not as much as I envy you with your flying."

He seemed to perk up at that reminder. "Oh, right. Are you ready?"

"Hmm?" Rapunzel said, not quite catching his meaning.

"For flying?" Jack prompted, amused smirk in place. "Are you truly alright, blondie?"

At the mention of flying, the fog in her head cleared up and she nodded enthusiastically. "I'm fine. You were talking about flying."

Jack set down the soaked rag, nodding his head towards the open window.

"You sure you're ready?"

Rapunzel thought to the notion of flying, about how she had always dreamed of letting her hair go and releasing all her worries; how she wanted so badly to leave the past behind, at least for one night.

"Ready as I'll ever be," she answered.

~~O~~O~~

Her grip around Jack's neck tightened and she could feel his steady heartbeat against her ear, mockingly steady compared to her accelerated one.

"I don't think I'm ready!" she said over the whistling of the wind.

"I think you are," he replied, bracing one foot on the ledge. "Now, hold on, I'm going to propel us up higher so passerby's don't notice and you've got to keep a tight hold on me, alright?"

Rapunzel could only whimper, her arms locked around his neck in a choking grip. Jack winced but he silently appreciated her hold on him. He had learned during his short period of stay here on earth that a tighter hold meant a higher trust between two individuals. At least that's what he thought.

He did hope that she trusted him enough for this.

"One...two..."

He never made it to three, arms holding her close to him as he shot to the sky, eyes closed against the sting of cold air. He heard her scream but it was caught in the wind, tossed into oblivion and never to be heard from heard by anyone except for him.

His heart gave a leap in his throat and he soared, commanding the wind to take him higher. Jack felt the atmosphere around them thinning, the air growing colder with every feet he pushed until, finally, her city was nothing more than blinking lights in the background.

He slowed, grinning. "You can open your eyes now."

She tentatively pried one lid open and shut it again, breathing rapidly. "H-How high are we?"

"You can look down if you want," he encouraged.

"N-No thank you," she replied shakily, eyes still scrunched shut.

He sighed. "But you're going to miss the view," he taunted, nudging her slightly.

She screamed, pulling herself impossibly closer to him. "S-Stop that!"

Jack grinned at her, amused, even if she could not see it. "I won't let you go, dummy."

"Oh, I'm the dummy now?" she asked in indignation.

"Yes, because the sight is absolutely beautiful and you're missing it," he stated pointedly.

"N-No thanks, I rather do like the scene of my own eyelids."

He hummed. "Suit yourself."

Jack used the wind to propel himself forward, gliding at a pleasant pace.

"Wh-Where are we going?" Rapunzel asked, eyes still screwed shut tight.

"Higher."

"What?" she shrieked.

"Just kidding, I want to show you the moon," he said, trying hard not to laugh at her completely terrified expression.

"T-T-The moon?"

"Yeah, we're thirty thousand feet in the air, not looking at the moon from here is criminal."

"We're friggin thirty thousand feet in the air?" she asked, aghast.

"Yeah, actually. The last time I flew this low was when I was five," he said, echoing her words during dinner, smiling mischievously.

She gave a whimper of terror and buried her face in his chest.

"If this is about the jibe during dinner then I'm really sorry – I'll do anything to get back to the ground, anything, you name it."

Jack shook his head, flying in the direction of the moon, above the clouds where the city below was hidden. The clouds formed a circle around the moon, the ethereal light touching his face and making him feel much more alive than flying did. It was quieter up here and he hovered in midair, legs sinking into a cloud as he mimicked sitting, the wind coming to his aid to provide solidity.

"How about a kiss?" he said in a joking tone.

"If it's a kiss you want, it's a kiss you'll get," she said, eyes still shut in an almost comical way.

"Huh, I never thought you were afraid of heights."

"Deathly so, now, where's your cheek-"

"That's my neck."

"Sorry, I can't actually see because, in case you haven't noticed, my eyes are shut," she said scathingly.

"Right, well, here it is," he said, placing his face in front of her.

She leaned in, but before her lips could touch his cheek, he turned his head away, so that her lush kiss would come into contact with his lips.

Rapunzel gave a squeak of surprise but Jack didn't give her the chance to pull back, hand placed behind her neck as he held her there. She melted into the kiss, eyes relaxing, hands coming up to twine around the nape of his neck, fingers teasing the sensitive skin.

He shuddered, nipping her bottom lip lightly and she gasped, returning the favor by gently nibbling his bottom lip.

The kiss was unlike anything he had ever felt – ever experienced, period. It was as if his heart was aching to fly out from his chest, his hands shaky. He thought he even stopped breathing for a moment. She was delicate, like a bloom under his touch, skin soft and lips even softer that he felt almost scared to handle her, almost too scared to continue touching her.

She pulled back, breaking the kiss, green eyes wide with shock.

"Y-You..."

He was stunned into silence, by the intensity of his ever first kiss and the fact that he had shared it with Rapunzel. Wordlessly, he turned her head around, so that her eyes could land on the full moon.

Jack heard her gasp, felt her body tensing in surprise.

"It's...It's beautiful," she said, in a voice filled with awe.

"It is, isn't it?" he said ruefully, placing her so that she sat across his knees, balancing from the support of his legs alone and his arms around her. She didn't seem to notice the subtle shift in her position, eyes glued to the sight before her.

Jack took in her skin, made flawless by the moonlight, the curve of her swan-like neck, the dip of her collarbones that lent a sensual yet girlish look. He yearned to kiss her there, to feel her heartbeat thrum under his lips but he restrained from that, deciding that a kiss was as far as she would allow now.

She turned back to him, roguish smile decorating her mouth. "You sly, sneaky bastard, you knew that kiss would disarm me."

He grinned, having being caught. "You got me. I just didn't want you missing out on something like this."

"It worked," Rapunzel said, shrugging.

"It certainly did."

"Just don't tell me how high are we."

"I won't."

"Promise?" she asked, anxiety shining through her callous facade.

"I wouldn't dream of it – I swear."

~~O~~O~~

His bright, blue eyes took in the scene of the planet before him. Aqua blue met with the brown tones of the earth, merging together with the green of plantation.

Earth.

He grimaced, stretching out the void that connected all Time Guardians together, trying to assess his fellow teammate.

The bigger Guardian knew that he had taken a new name for himself down there, something rustic that snapped out of the mouth with an amusingly simple finesse.

Jack.

He opened the void, hoping that his comrade would answer him. He tried, calling out his name, even probing the recesses of his mind but nothing was working.

It seemed as if Jack had deliberately closed all forms of contact, even going so far as to shut his mind from his teammates.

He frowned. The Guardian once had a name, a name that started with an 'N' if he wasn't mistaken.

North. Yes, that's it, his name was North.

He went by many references, each as impersonal as the next. He was also known as the biggest Time Guardian, both in size and rank. He was appointed group leader under the Council because of his experience and natural charisma, both adding to the requirements needed under a strong leader who could keep his teammates from messing up the passages of time and starting wars if they were bored.

Or even worse. Opening up illicit passageways that brought in the Nightmares, or better known as Pitch Black's men.

North grimaced at the thought of his nemesis. Pitch was as cunning and cruel as they came; often starting fights between planets, small scale attacks never interesting him. However, if he ever did find a planet whose inhabitants fascinated him, he would consciously try to start an all out war, further complicating the job of the Guardians.

He knew that the younger Guardian did not exactly like his job, having prefer isolation to working in a team but he also knew Jack well enough that he would not intentionally betray his own beings. North was much more worried that he had merged paths with something dark and sinister. It was with utmost concern that he hoped Jack didn't get himself affiliated with Pitch Black.

_Jack? Jack, can you hear me?_ North called in his mind. _Where are you? You've been missing for days._

Silence greeted him and he felt as if a chilly hand had clawed his heart, encapsulating it with ice. Was his friend alright? More importantly, did their nemesis Pitch get to him?

North's head hurt with the strain of his questions and he grimaced. There was only one way to go along with this.

He was going to have to go down to Earth, get an identity and find his missing teammate.


	7. Chapter 7

**Hey guys, I'm back :D So, first of, a few things. To:-**

**_Number 11 is my OC:_ Thank you so much! That comment was really sweet c:**

**_Ode to a Fangirl:_ Thanks :DD**

**_ImagineDragonz7:_ Thank you! I tried to write it in the most realistic way possible since I haven't actually been thousands of feet up in the air, haha. **

**_Tacolady22:_ Thanks for your review :D And yes, he will be, soon ;)**

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Jack floated into the window, Rapunzel in his arms, giggling at some joke he had told not a minute ago.

"I was not terrified," she said, sticking out her tongue.

Jack stared at her incredulously. "Really? Then what did you call closing your eyes for the past one hour because you were afraid of heights?" He placed her down gently on the marble floor and she winced at the coolness against her bare soles.

"I told you, I just much preferred the darkness of my own eyelids."

"Huh, suit yourself."

Satisfied that she had won, Rapunzel plopped down onto the couch, patting the space next to her. "Come on, sit next to me and let me continue denying how afraid I was."

Jack quirked a brow but sat beside her. He noticed her fingers playing with a strand of her hair, fiddling it absentmindedly. He knew that she often did that when she was waiting to see if her cooking turned out good, or if her favorite TV heroin had managed to crack the code.

She was nervous.

"Hey, you okay?" he asked, not sure if she wanted to be interrupted.

"What? Oh- I'm fine," she replied, hands leaving her hair as if the strands were strings of fire.

"Why the nervousness then?"

"I was not – ugh, fine...It's just...you're right, we went out all the way into the air and I was too chicken to even open my eyes."

Jack caught on to her frustration. "You thought you were wasting my time?"

She frowned. "Yes and no."

"I just thought that I wasting a good opportunity," she said, throwing her hands up into the air exasperatedly. "I had one chance to live something extraordinary and I closed my eyes the entire time." Her head hit her palm with a loud smack and he heard her groan into her hands.

"Hey, hey," he said, taking her hands in his, gently prying them away. Her spring green eyes peeked up at him, obviously embarrassed.

"You did fine, alright?" Jack reassured. "At least you didn't push me away or tried hitting me when we were airborne; so for trying not to make me drop you, you earned some brownie points."

Her lips pulled up into a half smile. "Did you just use the term 'brownie points'?"

"Yeah, I'm assuming that it has something to do with those chocolate squares. Mhm. Yummy."

She laughed then, a short burst of happiness that warmed his heart. "Close enough."

"But honestly, Rapunzel, you did well, for someone that has been on the ground for her whole life, you did good."

"Thanks," she said, tone reflecting her sincerity.

"You're welcome."

The tiredness made itself much more pronounced now that her heart was running down on adrenaline. Rapunzel yawned and stretched, getting up from the couch with difficulty.

"Guess it's bedtime for me."

He patted the couch, resting his head on the hard pillow. "Me too."

She smiled, realizing how her short couch was not enough to contain his taller frame. "Are you sure you're comfortable there?"

"Nope."

The blonde chuckled at his straight-forwardness and gestured to her room. "I've got a rather large bed there, enough for someone as tall as you, I say. Care to share a sleeping space?"

"You're okay with that?" he asked, raising a brow.

"Pretty fine with that as long as you don't hog the blankets."

"Won't you feel weird sleeping beside me since you just spent the whole night out with me?" he inquired, interested at her reply to this question.

"It's because I spent the whole night with you that I wouldn't want to be alone. You've made me go back to being afraid of loneliness."

"I did?" he asked, genuinely surprise.

She bit her lip, trying to hide a smile at his blatant lack of social adroit. But he was excused, since he only had a human body starting from yesterday.

There was something about his clueless disposition that made her much more comfortable telling him her secrets, 'accidentally' revealing some of her much more mortifying tendencies that she knew would send most men running to the hills.

"Yes, silly," she said cheekily. "I want you close to me now because you've shown me what it was to not be alone for so long."

Jack, being himself just shrugged and grinned. "Sure, sounds fine. Which side are you taking? I like left, I don't know why, I just like left."

~~O~~O~~

Rapunzel gave him the left side of her bed, watching in amusement as he climbed in, exhaling in comfort. She wanted to make fun of his apparent ease, but seeing his content expression, didn't have the heart to.

He snuggled in, watching her through half lidded eyes as she laid beside him, tugging the blankets up to her chin.

"Cold?"

"Only slightly," she replied, rubbing the tip of her frozen nose.

"Want my share of the covers? I don't really need it." Before she could protest, he peeled back the covers and tossed it to her, grinning like a silly person.

"Uff - does it have something to do with being used to subzero temperatures?" she grumbled, pulling the blankets off from her face and shooting him a knowing smile.

"Actually, I'm just not cold."

"Oh. Sorry. Thank you."

"Hmm."

She switched off her lamp, laying back in the darkness as she felt the demanding presence and pressure of another human being beside her. She smirked at that thought, wondering if he was even human.

"Hey, Jack?"

"Yeah?"

"Are you human?"

"I don't think so."

"Okay."

His questioning look was made noticeable by the moon's glow that filtered in through her windows. "Why?"

"Just curious."

"If you're wondering, yes, I am a male."

"Didn't ask for that."

"Just reassuring you."

She huffed but secretly smiled. "Well, goodnight then Jack who's a male."

"Goodnight Rapunzel who is undoubtedly a female."

"You're so weird."

"Weird? What's that?"

Rapunzel laughed, shaking her head in amusement. "Nothing, just go to sleep."

~~O~~O~~

North landed with a grunt on the asphalt, the impact jolting his teeth and bones. The big guardian grimaced as he looked around, eyes landing on another fellow who was about the same size as him with bright red cheeks from the cold and a loud, brash laugh.

Willing himself to memorize the features, he morphed into that man, slinking behind an alleyway to conceal himself. North cast a glance towards the humans, noting their similar fashion trend of jeans and t-shirt. He chose a white shirt that concealed most of his huge stomach and a leather jacket as a protection against the cold night air.

He huffed and walked out into the street, hands tucked deep into his jacket pockets to ward of the chill. His bright blue eyes scanned the area, memorizing the streets and ways in case he would have to make a hasty dash from whatever threat that lurked in this strange world.

Walking past a giggling couple who obviously looked madly in love, North felt a pang of guilt echo in his chest as he figured out why Jack would've chosen this planet. The inhabitants here practically relied on this form of emotional attachment to get by, it being the basis of civilization itself in this strange world.

The guilt came when he realized that Jack – who had no one to comfort him and accompany him all through his lonely years – picked this place because of the apparent lack of warmth in his life.

North thought back to the early days with a sense of regret; a regret at not knowing his own teammate, at not even noticing him when he performed his duties. Even he could understand the emotional need for a young Time Guardian to seek comfort elsewhere than in his duties.

He sighed and followed the stream people milling up and down the street, trying to look as inconspicuous as he possibly could. North cast his gaze towards the high rising buildings, noticing the street lamps and the sheer volume of life in this place with a frown.

Finding Jack would prove to be a much harder task.

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**A/N: I wonder how Jack would react when he sees North again. **

**Review? **


	8. Chapter 8

**Huge thanks to Jackunzelhayniac3 for betaing this chapter!**

**And sorry for the late update, life caught up to me and hit me with responsibilities, ha. **

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Rapunzel sighed in annoyance as she perused the job section in the local newspaper, blowing the steam from her coffee with narrow-eyed irritation. Jack sat opposite of her, inclining his head to one side as he studied the world beginning to light through her small kitchen windows.

He heard her sigh for the tenth time this minute and turned to her, a questioning gaze inscribed on his face. "What's up?"

She startled, as if not expecting him to notice and pursed her lips. "Nothing."

"That doesn't sound like nothing," he said, leaning forward towards her. "You want to tell me what's got you all annoyed?"

She rolled her eyes but turned the paper to him, frowning as she did so.

Jack's glance skimmed the pages, noting the words like 'application', 'salary', and 'job description' with a tilt to his head. He looked at her in confusion. "What's all this for?"

Rapunzel huffed and slumped against the back of the chair, twisting a strand of her hair with nervous fingers. "They're called job applications, and as of right now, they're my worse enemy."

"What did they ever do to you?" Jack asked, feeling amused at her antics.

"They remind me just how much of this world I don't get."

"What don't you don't get?"

She lifted a brow but remained silent, staring at the blur of words on the paper that had gotten her so worked up. A sigh left her lips, and she stared him right in the eye, figuring that a short lesson on her back story would hurt no one.

"It was during college that I realized I didn't want to be a medical student," she started.

Jack's bright blue gaze locked with hers and she saw him lean forward again in attentiveness.

"I preferred painting, art, sculpting. You name it, I loved it...but when I put this idea out to my mother, she told me that I should stop dreaming and, to emphasize it, destroyed all my sketchbooks in the fireplace."

Jack's expression, contorted in confused rage. "Why would she do that?"

"She reasoned that she had put too much money into my course and didn't want to see it wasted," Rapunzel continued. "She felt threatened that I would abandon my course and join another art college, so she tried to discourage me."

"By burning your art?" he asked incredulously.

Rapunzel could only nod, her eyes faraway in the lost haze of memories. "But in the end, I did defy her, with the help of one of my best friends – Eugene Fitzherbert. He gave me the courage to leave her, helped me to my feet, and made me realize something about my mother."

"What was it?" Jack asked softly, aware that this was the hardest part of her story.

"That she's a manipulator," she replied, in an equally quiet tone, "an emotional abuser, and a horrible person.

"She only wanted me to go into medicine so that I could devote my time to helping her regain her youth through dermatology and skin surgery...that's all she had planned for me."

"So, she basically wanted you as a personal doctor?"

"A really cheap one that would come to her beck and call," Rapunzel replied scathingly.

"That's pretty selfish of her, to ignore your wants and only concentrate on her own."

She gestured with her hands, spreading them out as if to say 'see?'

"This Eugene, how did you meet him?" Jack asked, wary that he may have reopened an old wound. How could he mention Eugene when she was just grieving over him? Horror filled him at the thought of yesterday; their flight, their kiss...God, did he really forget that she had just lost a loved one?

Rapunzel seemed to read the turmoil in his eyes for she shook her head vehemently, taking his hand in hers. "Eugene was a great man, but he's gone, and it's probably high time that I start moving on."

"Even if I'm not him?" Jack asked, aware at how vulnerable he was now. Anything hurtful that she wished to say would undoubtedly scar him, and he suddenly found himself afraid.

Was this how love worked?

Being elated yet afraid at the same time?

"Yes, even if you're not him, and besides, Eugene and Jack are two completely different people," she said, smiling softly. "I wouldn't trade my time with either of you for anything."

Jack felt the beginnings of a smile find itself on his lips against his will as he squeezed her hand lightly. "I am sorry though, for not asking if you were alright."

"It's cool, I'm fine," Rapunzel replied with a small giggle.

"But this job thing is still eating you up inside?" he inquired cautiously.

She grimaced but shrugged. "I'll manage. There must be some form of job out there for a dropout with no degree and only artistic skills."

"Degree? As in a qualification?"

"Yeah. I didn't get one because Eugene passed away before my school fees were paid, you know, since he was financing my education with what little trust fund he had." She gestured to the space around them. "Even this house...he bought it for the both of us because my school was near here."

Jack felt his heart sink a little for the woman in front of him who was forced to have her education cut short by the untimely death of her caretaker and boyfriend.

"That sucks," he summed up.

Rapunzel grinned ruefully. "Yes, yes it does."

"What are you going to do now?"

"Continue with my freelancing," she replied nonchalantly, getting up to put her cup in the sink. "Like I said, there must be someone out there who could make use of my skills."

"I'm pretty sure there is; you just have to keep looking," Jack offered. She cracked a smile and shrugged, turning back to the dishes.

His eyes took her in, from the messy knotted bun in her hair to her ratty shorts and realized something:

What he would give to feel the love that she felt for Eugene.

~~O~~O~~

North's eyes scanned the nearly deserted street, taking in the glaring streetlamps and gravelly road. Jack must be here somewhere, he thought, glancing at the rows of apartments before him.

The Guardian grimaced.

No matter, he would just have to wait for his teammate to show himself.

And knowing Jack, it would be soon.

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**A/N: I hope everyone enjoyed this!**

**Review?**


	9. Chapter 9

**Whoops, had this sitting in my archives but forgot to post this. Once again, thanks to my lovely beta for helping out with this chapter! **

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North's predictions proved right when he saw the Time Guardian walking down the street, blue eyes unmistakable even when he cast his gaze to the ground. The big guardian grimaced and guessed that he would have to do this the hard way.

Stepping from the shadows, he reached out for Jack's blue hoodie, yanking him into the alleyway. North muffled his indignant cries with a large, beefy hand, drawing Jack deeper into the alley where the light didn't touch and he could speak to his teammate in private.

Jack struggled, landing powerful kicks on the stranger's shin, but the attacker just grunted and refused to let go. The young guardian started to panic; was this a friend or foe? Did Pitch Black find him on this planet and was he trying to recruit him?

The panic faded when the large man let go of him, causing Jack to fall on the dirty asphalt with a loud 'thump'. He immediately stood up, hands positioned in defense with his legs spread and poised to run away at the first opportunity. The young Guardian stopped when he saw who towered over him.

"North?" he questioned, unsure if it was him.

"Ja," the bigger guardian replied with a grimace. "It is me."

Jack let his hands fall but still kept his protective stance, something that made North frowned.

"What are you doing here?" Jack asked cautiously.

"Searching for you."

"Why?" Panic colored his features, and Jack's eyes grew wide. "Did a planet under my care blow up? Has a civil war started?"

"No," North reassured. "And anyway, even if planet blow up, you wouldn't be able to do anything about it," he said, his voice thick with a Russian accent.

Jack's mind raced a mile a minute with the implications of North's appearance.

His partner seemed to have sensed his apprehension for he sighed and gestured to the dank alleyway. "Walk with me, Jack."

His grip around the younger Time Guardian's arm tightened and Jack actually had to fight to push the elder Guardian away. "No," he replied stubbornly. "We can talk here."

North's face remained impassive as he nodded. "Sure. Look, the reason that I came down here was to assure that you were all right."

"And why would I not be?" Jack tried to keep the irritation out of his tone but it was hard. Who did North think he was to just dropped out of nowhere and chastise him as if he were a father.

"Pitch escaped," he replied grimly.

A beat of silence, and then, "_What?_"

"You heard me right. Pitch has been seen around our patrols and I thought he might have gotten to you here."

"Well, he didn't," Jack said, truly surprised. He never expected to hear the name of the famous Time Guardian-turned-rogue around this side of the universe.

North grimaced. "Jack, we need you, and your little vacation here on Earth has to end."

His expression fell. "Are you serious?"

"You heard me," North said pointedly, "you have to say goodbye to whatever anchor you have here and come back with us. We're at war Jack, and we have to stick together."

"You've got a whole armada of Guardians," the younger Guardian argued. "Why do you need me?"

"Because you are Guardian too," North said, his more pronounced accent causing Jack to think that he had gotten under the older Guardian's skin.

Jack pretended to think this over. He couldn't just up and leave Rapunzel like that. It wouldn't be fair to her. To him.

"No deal."

"Jack-"

"I'm sorry, but I can't," Jack said firmly. "I can't just leave my...anchors here like that and take off as if she doesn't mean a thing to me-"

"You're abandoning your post for a woman?" North asked in frustration.

Jack shrugged his thin shoulders. "Maybe I am."

"Then you leave me no choice."

The younger Time Guardian gaped at him. "What-"

"If you do not come with me, I will ask the Council to evict your powers and leave you nothing but a shell of yourself," North stated.

Jack's jaw fell. Being evicted and having his guardianship revoked was the same as leaving him without a name and banishing him to the depths of the darkest part of the galaxy. Only the worst Guardians received that punishment: being banished by his own peers. The same thing happened to Pitch Black eons ago, leaving him to recruit Nightmare men from galaxies away.

North's thin lips set in a line. "I will give you until dark to make your decision. If you agree, meet me here tonight and we shall leave."

The burly man turned and walked away, leaving Jack with this sticky predicament and ultimatum. He glanced at North's receding silhouette and clenched his jaw.

Jack didn't know what to think first.

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**A/N: Tell me what you think?**


	10. Chapter 10

Rapunzel looked up to see Jack perched on her railing, crooked smile in place. She stood up from the table and opened the window, grinning back.

"Hey, you-"

Jack leapt gracefully and landed in front of her, but before she could take a step back, he pulled her flush to his body, lips finding hers as he lifted her up in his arms.

Rapunzel's thin arms immediately wrapped around his neck as she returned his kiss with equal passion, lips moving perfectly in sync. Their lips separated and she found herself breathing hard.

"Hey, you back," Jack said easily, letting her go.

The blonde ran her hands through her hair, smoothing the stray strands down and took a shaky breath.

"What was that for?" she asked, lips quirking upwards. "Not that I'm complaining on the choice of greeting."

Jack's smile disappeared and he gestured to the dining table. "Can I talk to you for a moment?"

Something twisted in her gut from his solemnity but she followed, sitting opposite of him on the tiny wooden table with the three mismatched chairs.

He took a deep breath and grasped her hand in one fluid motion. "I have to go back."

"Go back?" Rapunzel asked, brow crinkled. She didn't understood what he meant until she looked past his shoulder and caught sight of the star-lit sky. Her throat closed abruptly. "You m-mean h-home?"

Jack nodded, teeth gnawing on his lower lip. "I... I had a calling because a wanted prisoner escaped and they need my help."

"But Jack, I thought you said that they didn't care what could happen to you," she interjected. "Why the welcoming arms now?"

Jack lifted his shoulders in a shrug. "I have no idea myself."

Her grip tightened and he winced at the feel of her sharp nails digging into his wrist. She fell silent, staring at the wooden grains photo-shopped onto a piece of plastic, eyes falling the winding trail.

"Punz," he prompted gently. "Will you be okay with me going?"

She took a ragged breath. "For how long?" she asked in a whisper.

This was the part that he had been dreading; how to tell her that he himself had no idea.

"I-" The words caught in his throat and her gaze turned to him, the green harsh like toxic acid. "I... I don't know."

"What do you mean?"

"It means I don't know when I'll be back," he finished in a soft voice. "I am so, so sorry."

Her hand slipped out of his grip and he immediately regretted the loss of heat from her touch. He scanned her face for any signs that she might be angry, but all he got was confusion.

"Punz—"

"Oh God," she barked out suddenly that it startled him. "I truly am an idiot."

"What-"

"I fell for someone who couldn't even promise me a tomorrow," she said, voice breaking on the last syllable. "So stupid. So very, _very_ stupid."

Jack's face blanched at the hundred and eighty degree change in her disposition. "Rapunzel, what do you mean?"

"What, you want me to say it out loud now?" she demanded, standing up and causing the chair to screech in protest.

Jack stood up too, hands lifted in a placating gesture. "Punz, I had no choice," he said pleadingly, willing that she would understand. "North told me that if I didn't go back with him, he would revoke my status and banish me. If that happens, I truly can't come back to you as I wouldn't even know where _I_ am."

Her anger seemed to have dissipated and she slumped, arms wrapping around herself. The room fell silent, the type of quiet that was fraught with tension and unavoidable fear.

She looked up at him and he was stunned to see her eyes filled with tears. "Sorry," she gasped out. "I don't know what came over me and... I just flipped..."

"Hey, hey," he said, going over to her and enveloping her in his embrace. "It's going to be all right. I will always come back for you, I swear on my soul."

"But you have no soul," she sniffed.

He scoffed, gaze glimmering softly at her endearing petulance. "Of course I have one. Every creation has one."

Rapunzel hugged herself tighter. "Just promise me?"

Jack drew her nearer and placed his chin on her head, rocking her body slightly as she turned to bury her face in his chest. "Of course. Always. I promise."

~~O~~O~~

Three months.

It had been three months since she last saw Jack.

Rapunzel had first found it unbelievable that she had let him go so easily, before the surprise changed into anger. Her anger didn't last long as she would revert to sadness and then back to indignation, like a never ending carousel of emotions.

She had decided to find a job, as a past time to take her mind off Jack and find her something else to do besides pining over a man she had just met and lost within a short span of time. The blonde had wondered what had gotten into her during those few days where she had let her guard down easily after the death of her other love.

Patience was a virtue and one she desperately needed if she were going to believe in Jack's words, that he would come back for her no matter what. But he was galaxies away – _literally – _and time was moved differently there compared to earth.

She had been busy with her work today, overlooking some of the papers that her boss wanted her to go over when a sharp knock caught her attention. The blonde removed the pen she was chewing from her mouth and looked up.

Her heart caught in her chest.

Jack was grinning at her, bright smile contrasting vividly against the steely dark skies that signified oncoming rain, hand lifted up in a wave.

She couldn't believe her eyes.

Rapunzel let out a breathless laugh as she made her way over to the window on shaky legs, unlatching the lock.

Cool wind struck her face and Jack quickly jumped in, helping her to close the window.

He turned around, gaze appraising hers.

Jack hadn't changed one bit; his brown hair was still messy and stuck in different directions, his eyes still sparkled with that same mischief that she had missed so much.

He opened his arms and she practically ran into them, nearly knocking him off his feet.

"Whoa, easy there," Jack said with a laugh. God, she had missed his voice.

"I-I thought you were never coming back," she managed to choke out, feeling his grip tighten around her.

"I did promise you," he murmured, "and I always keep my promises."

She detached herself from his embrace, giving him a once over.

"Did you manage to defeat the evil bad guy?"

Jack gave a short bark of laughter at her dubbing of Pitch.

"Yes. Yes we did."

Her relieved smile was brilliant. "Good. I'm glad you're safe."

Rapunzel's heart lurched in her chest, thrumming like a life hummingbird in her ribcage. She inhaled his sweet scent of peppermint and musk, a heady concoction that reminded her he was still alive, and finally after months of pining for him, she had him back.

"We have a lot of catching up to do." His words were more of a statement than a suggestion.

She smirked. "Yes, we do."

He inclined his head towards the dining table where her untouched work sat, impish grin in place.

"You make lasagna and I talk then later I clean up and it's your turn?"

Rapunzel had never heard a better suggestion.

"Sometimes you amaze me with your great thinking, Jack."

"I aim to impress," Jack gallantly replied, pulling the chair for her.

She could finally relax now after months of worrying.

Jack was finally home.

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**A/N: And this story is a wrap! I hope you guys enjoyed this short drabble that I couldn't get out of my head for Jackunzel. Mega thanks to my beta Jackunzelhayniac3 who helped with the chapters and made this even more legible for all of you.**

**Thanks for sticking around and I hope to hear some feedback from all of you! **


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